Spring suspension



Feb. 14, 1939. w, BOXAN 2,147,518

SPRING SUSPENS ION Filed Feb 6, 1957 @972 venfor':

Wmw

Patented Feb. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES SPRING SUSPENSION Walter Boxan, Zschopau, in Saxony, Germany, assignor to Auto Union Aktiengesellschaft,

Ohemnitz, Germany Application February 6, 1937, Serial No. 124,488 In Germany February 8, 1936 1 Claim. (Cl. 267-21) ber member between its surfaces of adhesion.

The sprung axle member is carried directly by the prismatic rubber members which causes considerable additional shear stresses in the direc- 15 tion of the surfaces of adhesion. In this case neither the guiding nor the springing of the axle member with respect to the frame is satlsfactorily obtained.

In contradistinction thereto, the novelty of the '20 invention consists in this, that an axle member guided. in the frame is directly connected to a frame member bythe rubber prismatic member, which is subjected to shear stresses in the direction of its surfaces of adhesion. In this case 25 the spring action is obtained entirely by the shear stressing of the rubber member, which remains constant in all planes parallel to the surfaces of adhesion. In this way a very great spring effect can be obtained with springs of small volume. 30 Owing to the absence of any superfluous connecting members between the axle and frame member,'the springing arrangement can be con structed in as compact. Since the axle member is guided 35 in' the frame, the rubber member need not take up any supporting forces which would cause additional stresses in it. Particularly advantageous constructions are obtained if the prismatic rubber member is arranged between a link mem- 40 her extension and an oppositely disposed frame member or between the stub axle carrier and an oppositely disposed frame member. In each case a very economical construction is obtained because it is completely reliable and requires no 45 additional attention.

The invention is illustrated in several constructional examples in the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a link 50 quadrilateral swinging across the direction of travel;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through a swinging half axle;

Fig. 3is a horizontal section through a link 55 member swinging in the direction of travel;

manner which is simple as Well Fig. 4 is a section along the line IV-IV in Fig. 3;

In the constructional example according to Fig. l the wheel is guided parallel to the longitudinal central plane by means of a quadrilateral 5 consisting of two link members 9. The link members 9 are mounted, by means of journals III, in brackets H which are secured to the longitudinal frame member 6. The rubber member 2, which is subjected to shear stresses in the 10 direction of its surfaces of adhesion, is arranged between an inwardly directed extension 8 of the link member 9 and a transverse member 24 connected to the frame member 6. The extension 8 is for this purpose provided with a plate 8a curved around the bearing centre and carrying the one adhesion plate 4 of the rubber member 2, while the transverse frame member 24 is also provided with a plate 24a curved around the bearing centre and carrying the other adhesion plate 3 of the rubber member 2. The adhesion plates 3, 4 are pushed over the bearing plates Ba, 24a, with hooked parts I l. The rubber member 2 is subjected to a certain initial compression when being placed between the parts Ba, 25 24a.

In the constructional example according to Fig. 2, the wheel is guided by means of a swinging half axle 9, which is mounted by means of a journal in in the longitudinal central frame member l'l. Therubber member 2, subjected to shear stresses, is arranged between an extension 8 projecting into the frame member I! and the frame member 'll itself. The axle extension 8 is for this purpose provided with a plate 8a curved 5 around the bearing centre, which carries one adhesion plate 4 of the rubber member 2, while the other adhesion plate 3 is inserted in the frame member H. The plate 4 is pushed over the bearing plate 8a with hooked parts, while 40 the plate 3 is rigidly fixed in the frame member ill by means of screw bolts. The rubber members 2 belonging to one axle are connected together by means of the adhesion plate 3. For varying the spring tension, the plate 3 can be adjusted with respect to the frame member I! by means of the screw bolts l3.

In the constructional example according to Figs. 3 and 4 the wheel is guided by a link member 9 swinging in the direction of travel. The 5 link member is mounted by means of a journal in in a bracket ll secured on the end of the longitudinal frame member 6. The rubber member 2, subjected to shear stresses, is arranged between the link member 9 and the longitudinal frame member. For this purpose the link 9 is provided On the inner side with a plate 9a, which is placed parallel to the web of the frame member 6 and carries an adhesion plate 4 of the rubber member 2, while the other adhesion plate 3 is directly supported by means of the frame member 6. The adhesion plates 3, 4 embrace the parts 9a, 6 with hooked parts I. The rubber member 2 is preferably arranged at such a distance from the journal ID that it largely relieves the latter from the bearing pressures due to the lateral forces.

What I claim is:-

A springing arrangement more particularly for automobiles with independent wheels comprising avehicle frame, a journal member on said frame, a wheel, supporting means for said wheel pivoted on said journalmember, spaced plates arranged in succession between the supporting means and the frame transversely to the swinging plane of the supporting means on the side of the journal member opposite said wheel, said plates being connected respectively with the supporting means and the frame, at least one of said plates being curved about the axis of the journal member, and a rubber member adhesively connected with the plates and subjected to shear stresses between said frame and said supporting means.

WALTER BOXAN. 

